Architecture

Morning News Roundup: April 30, 2014

Architecture news and views from around the nation and beyond.

The interlocking tile vaults designed by Spanish geniuses Rafael Guastavino Sr. and his son, Rafael Jr., may hold the clue to putting mankind on the moon in a more permanent fashion. Norman Foster, Hon. FAIA, and engineer Roger Ridsdill Smith are giving a talk about the lasting legacy (and future potential) for the work of the Guastavinos, which is on display in "Palaces for the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural Tile." The talk is at the Center for Architecture on May 14.

Another museum for Herzog & de Meuron: The Vancouver Art Gallery selected Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron to design the city's new downtown building. The firm was selected from a shortlist of four other firms: Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (both from New York), Toronto's KPMB Architects, and Tokyo's SANAA. [The Vancouver Sun]

Quote of the Day: "The Golden State Warriors' decision to scuttle the team's proposed arena at Piers 30-32 is the best thing that has happened to San Francisco's waterfront in years - not because of what is gone, but what now could be." —San Francisco Chronicle’s John King

Tweet of the Day:

Waiting for Kanye to drop Vanity Fair architecture critic Paul Goldberger's name in a song. Only a matter of time...

Typical calculators for splitting rent with roommates comes down to square footage. The biggest room, maybe also with a walk-in closet or a separate bathroom, costs the most. But using the Sperner’s lemma method instead calculates a rent split based on preferences. [The New York Times]

Q&A with the new president of the NewSchool of Architecture and Design, Greg Marick: U-T San Diego

Construction begins next month on the $109 million science and engineering building at Vanderbilt University designed by Boston-based Wilson Architects. [Nashville Business Journal]

China is building museums so rapidly that the country has already surpassed its five-year goal (3,500 museums nationwide) two years early. With a current total of 4,000 museums, China’s “museumification” is part of a plan to develop the country’s cultural sphere. Check out 11 of the most stunning new museums. [CNN]